About

Professor Dhavendra Kumar is a Visiting Professor, Genomic Policy Unit, Faculty of Life Sciences & Education, The University of South Wales and Consultant in Clinical Genetics at the University Hospital of Wales, Institute of Medical Genetics, Cardiff University, Cardiff, United Kingdom. He is one of the Consultants for the All Wales Medical Genetics Service and the lead Clinician for Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics.
After qualifying in Medicine from the King George’s Medical College, University of Lucknow, India, he completed postgraduate training in Pediatrics with an MD. Since 1980 he has pursued a career in Medical Genetics in the UK. In 1990 he became a Diplomate of the American Board of Medical Genetics. He is a Fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics (FACMG) and as well as Royal Colleges of Physicians (FRCP-London and FRCP-Ireland) and Pediatrics and Child Health (FRCPCH-UK).
In 2015, he was conferred with the higher degree of DSc by his Alma Mater, King George’s Medical University, Lucknow (UP, India) based on his life-time contributions and achievements to genetic and genomic applications in medicine and health.

Experience

Clinical Genetics Service:General Clinical Genetics; Paediatric genetics- clinical dysmorphology; Clinical cardiovascular genetics.
Current Lead Consultant for Cardiovascular Genetics service for Wales, actively involved in a number of clinical, academic and professional activities; organised a multi-disciplinary teams for developing integrated ‘All Wales Service for Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions” within AWMGS:
Service development for Wales cardiac genetic service- Preparing the clinical service plan and protocols and clinical care pathways for clinical referrals, molecular genetic testing and managing family members with a history of ‘sudden cardiac death’.
Organizing the NHS multi-disciplinary team for providing a World class service for patients and families with inherited heart disorders across Wales
Active participation in setting up the National level service for families affected with sudden cardiac death in a close relative as laid down in the National Service Framework for England and Wales.
Organised and led the All Wales Cardiovascular Genetics Interest Group
Contacts with Wales section of major patient support groups- for SADS, CMA, CRY and AA
Organised and led the Cardiff symposium on clinical cardiovascular genetics in Cardiff (22-23 Nov. 2007 and 23-24 Nov. 2009); planned for 2011 (25/26 Nov.2011).
Active participation in the UK Association for Inherited Cardiovascular Conditions (AICC) affiliated to BSHG and BCVS
Member of the UK Cardiac Genetics Advisory Group of the Public Health Genomic Foundation, Cambridge
Teaching & Training:
o Undergraduate (MB) teaching Cardiff & Swansea
o Intercalated BSc in Medical Genetics, Cardiff University
o Educational supervisor- Clinical Genetics
o MSc in Genetic Counselling, Cardiff University
o Co-Supervisor, PhD, University of Bristol (2009 to present)
o External examiner D.Sc, Queens University Belfast, N-Ireland, 2010.
Research & Development Lead for Medical Genetics & Specialties Division (Clinical Board) for the R&D, Cardiff and Vale University Health Board, Cardiff (2011 to 2014)

1. “Genetic Disorders of the Indian Subcontinent” [Kluwer-Springer Academic, The Netherlands, 2004]. I have edited this reference book to cover various aspects of genetic variation and genetic diseases among people from the Indian subcontinent. Several authors from India, UK and other countries have contributed various chapters.
In addition to editing the book, I wrote the following chapters:
• Kumar D: ‘The Indian subcontinent and genetic disorders: An introduction’.
Ishwar C Verma and Dhavendra Kumar: ‘Epidemiology of genetic diseases in the Indian Subcontinent’
• Kumar D: ‘Congenital developmental anomalies’.
• Dhavendra Kumar, Michael Patton, Ajith Kumar: ‘Genetic neurological and psychiatric disorders’.
Sanjay S Madan, James A Fernandes and Dhavendra Kumar: ‘Inherited skeletal dysplasias and collagen diseases’.
• Dhavendra Kumar, Carani B Sanjeevi, V. Radha and V. Mohan: ’Diabetes mellitus and related disorders’.
• Kumar D: ‘Genetic counselling for families from the Indian subcontinent’.
• Kumar D: ‘The genetics of cancer-the Indian subcontinent perspective’

2. “Genomics and Clinical Medicine” [Oxford Univ. Press, 2007]
This is a multi-author edited text book largely focussing on applications of genome science and technology in clinical medicine and population/public health.
The book includes sections on general genomics, clinical genomics and health genomics. Several leading experts have contributed chapters. My own contribution in the book includes the following chapters/ sections. The book offered my excellent opportunity for editing the book.
Preface
• Genomic perspectives of human development
• A taxonomy for human disease- genetics and genomics approaches
• Clinical medicine in the genomic era- an introduction
• Neuropsychiatric diseases II: Affective disorders
• Genomics and global health (Co-author, Prof. David Weatherall)
• Glossary (compiled from various sources)

3. “Principles and Practice of Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics” (Oxford Univ. Press, 2010)
This is a joint project with Dr. Perry Elliott, Reader/Consultant in Inherited Heart Disease at the Heart Hospital, University College Hospital, London. Apart from planning and editing, I co-authored the following chapters in this book:
• Challenges of clinical cardiovascular genetics- an Introduction
• The classification of inherited cardiovascular conditions
• Thoracic and abdominal aortic aneurysms

5. “Genomics and Health in Developing World” (Oxford Univ. Press, 2012)
• The genomic map of population diversity in Asia
• Transcultural perspectives of genetics and genomics
• Transgenic foods and the nutritional status of developing countries
• The burden of congenital anomalies on global health
• The Indian subcontinent and its people
• Familial cancer and cancer genetics in the Indian subcontinent

Memberships

The Clinical Genetics Society, UK (1980 to 1986- merger with BSHG)
British Medical Association from 1985 to date
The Skeletal Dysplasia Group (UK) from1987 to date
The British Society of Human Genetics (British Society of Genetic Medicine) from 1996 to date
American Society of Human Genetics from 1997
Life Member- Indian Society of Human Genetics, 2002
Human Genome Organization (HUGO), 2005- to date
Association for Inherited Cardiac Conditions- UK, 2010 to date
Global Alliance for Genomics in Health (GA4GH)- 2014 to date

External

Professor Kumar has co-authored/ co-edited 11 books- Genetic disorders of the Indian Subcontinent-Springer/Kluwer, Genomics and Clinical Medicine- Oxford University Press, Principles and Practice of Clinical Cardiovascular Genetics-Oxford University Press, Oxford Specialist Handbook Inherited Cardiac disease, e-book series Genomic & Molecular Medicine, Oxford Genomic Medicine- Principles & Practice, Genomics & Society and Medical & Health Genomics. His new books include ‘Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics for Clinicians’ and ‘Principles and Practice of Clinical Molecular Medicine’.
He has several publications in peer-reviewed journals of pediatrics and clinical genetics.
In 2006, he established and developed a new biomedical journal (Genomic Medicine-Springer) that subsequently became the official journal ((‘The HUGO Journal’) of the Human Genome Organization (HUGO), a leading International genetics and genomics organization. He served on the editorial board of the HUGO Journal as the founding Editor in Chief as well as a member of the HUGO Publications Committee. He founded other new journals- Applied and Translational Genomics (Elsevier), Current Trends in Genomic Medicine (GMF-UK) and Cardiovascular Genetics and Genomics (GMF-UK).
In 2013, he founded and leads the Genomic Medicine Foundation (UK) for promoting and education on genomic applications in medicine and health.

Research

Professor Kumar’s current research interests include clinical cardiovascular genetics, specifically ‘sudden cardiac death’ and ‘molecular genetics of chronic heart failure’.
In addition, he is collaborating on applications of genomics in medicine and health in emerging economies of the developing world for health and socio-economic benefits. Apart from the human health, he is also collaborating on projects related to genetically modified foods and enhancing bio-economy through translational genomics research in the developing world. He is currently actively involved in promoting medical genetics and genomics in developing countries through education programs and creating a comprehensive information resource on genomic variation and genetic disorders across the developing and least developed countries.

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